Mammoths once roamed Florida but went extinct about 10,000 years ago, in part due to human hunting. This is the real jaw of the mammoth skeleton on permanent display in the Denny Gallery in our main Museum lobby.
Summary
Columbian Mammoth Jaw (Mammuthus columbi)
From Aucilla River, Florida
Lived ~16,000 years ago
Collection
Story
Mammoths first appeared in Florida about a million and a half years ago. Late in their chronologic range a new predator appeared on their scene — humans. We know humans hunted mammoths, mastodons and other large prey in Florida because of marks and butchering marks on their bones and they used parts of them for tools. How much human interaction and hunting pressure was related to the extinction of these large animals is still a great question and debate among scientists.
Richard Hulbert
Collection Manager, Vertebrate Paleontology
Florida Museum of Natural History
Exhibit
On display Sept. 23, 2017-Jan. 7, 2018, Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating: 100 Years @FloridaMuseum celebrated the Museum’s rich history. Each Museum collection was asked to contribute its most interesting items and share the stories that make them special. Though the physical exhibit is closed, this companion website remains online, providing an opportunity to experience the Florida Museum’s most treasured specimens.
Exhibit Area: Objects Tell Stories
Theme: Humans Cause Change
Want to see more? Explore more than 300 breathtaking color photos of plants, animals, fossils and cultural heritage materials from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s collections in the award-winning book All Things Beautiful available from the University Press of Florida.
*This title was accurate at the time the exhibit was on display in 2017. Please visit the collection website to verify current staff and student information.